Apparatus for treating wire rope



June 21, 1932. G. c. BURD APPARATUS FOR TREATING WIRE ROPE Original Filed July 9, 1926 Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES PATET OFFICE GORMAN C. BURD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGINOR T'O AMERICAN CABLE COM- IPANY, INQ, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE APPARATUS FOR TREATING -WIRE ROPE Original application filed July 9, 1926, Serial No. 121,397, and in Canada. June 9, 1927. Divided and this I application filed September 25, 1928. Serial No. 308,267.

This invention relates to an apparatus for treating wire rope to obtain certain advan-- tageous results and benefits as will be fully set forth herein.

' While the process is described herein, in order to aid in the description of the apparatus for carrying the invention into efiect, the present application does not contain claims upon the process.

In the manufacture of wire rope by the usual or ordinary processes, a very considerable strain or torsion is placed upon the wire strands, which strains and stresses are indicated when a wire rope of the ordinary manufacture is cut, the strands flying apartor unraveling instantly. The object of the present invention is to treat the wire rope made by the usual processes so as to remove the strains and stresses with beneficial results noted herein, particularly with the elimination of the tendency to fly apart when the rope is cut.

A rope processed in the manner described has a longer life than ropes made by former methods without the treatment described. The process resists linking of the rope and eliminates the need for seizing or binding the rope near the point-of severance to prevent separation of the components. Not only do the strands show no tendency for the rope to unravel, but the individual components of the strands resist unravelin as well. The rope as treated is easy to hand e, easy to splice, and eas to socket.

ther advantages and benefits will be gained and the ropewill be improved in other ways, as will be understood by those skilled in this art. It is obvious that, having explained the principles of the invention, other and modified forms thereof may suggest themselves to those skilled in this art, and it is not the intention to limit the invention to the specific apparatus shown and described, as changes and modifications in the apparatus may be made within the scope of the present invention.

In the drawing is shown one form of apparatus of the invention for carrying out the process-described herein, in which Figure 1 is an assembly view showing the several apparatus of a complete rope treating unit;

V Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the treating unit; 1

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a section on the line of l4 of Figure -3.

Wire rope which is manufactured by the ordinary processes known in the art for many years is indicated at 10, being received upon reels, one of which is indicated at 11. From the reel, the wire rope passes to and through a treating unit, indicated in general at 12, thence to the usual pulling drums 13 and. to a wind-up reel 14, which are of the usual form known in this art and need not further be described except to state that the wire rope is drawn through the apparatus at the desired speed and with the desired tension. T5

The special treating apparatus 12, which is shown in detail in Figures 2, 3, and 4:, comprises a stand or table 15. A motor 16, which drives the wind-up mechanism, also drives the apparatus 12 through a belt 17 and cross shaft 18, the latter being connected to a vertical shaft 20 seated in a bearing 21 on the table 15. The upper end of shaft 20 carries a bevel gear 22 which meshes with rightand left-hand bevel gears 23 and 24, which are 35 carried upon shafts 25 and 26, respectively. The inner ends of the shafts are telescoped as shown at 2-? and their outer ends are supported in vertical plates 29 and 30 which are adjustable transversely of the table by means of slots and bolts 31.

The shafts 25 and 26, which are thus driven in opposite directions, carry drive pinionsv 32 which are adjustably mounted on the shafts, and each of these pinions meshes with a larger geared disk 33, which'is supported upon and guided by flanged rollers'34 adjustably mounted upon horizontal shafts 35 placed at suitable intervals about the gear.

The body of each gear 33 is provided with rope back and forth be on a radial slot 36 having an enlargement 37 at the center of the gear so that a guide in the form of a flanged spool or bushing 38 may be received therein, the center of the spool being apertured for the passage of the ro e 10. The spool is adjustably held at a pre etermined distance from the center of the gear by a screw/l0, the outer end of which bears against the spool and the inner end being received in a nut 41 set in a recess 42 in the gear, the body of the gear being recessed at 43 for the admission of the screw.

It will be noted that the spool is set at some distance from the center of the gear, being maintained at that point by the tension upon the rope. It will also be observed that the s 001s in the two gears are arranged at diametrically opposed positions, and that at the center of the unit 12 is arranged a fixed guide 45, and in the end plates 29 and 30 are located two fixed guides 46 preferably all in alinement, so that the rope in passing through the fixed guides 45 and 46 and the spools 38 is given two oppositely turned bends. The depth of the bends and the sharpness thereof is determined by the adjustments of the several parts, being intended to ve varied degrees of curvature to the rope, epending upon its stiflness, a more flexible rope being given a greater degree and magnitude of bend than a less, flexible rope.

The operation of the device andthe process of treatment to accomplish the purposes of the invention will be readily understood. The rope, as it passes through the unit 12, is given a rapid bending back and forth by the two gears 33, the gears, revolving in opposite directions, counteracting the tendency of each spool to place a permanent kink or set in the wire. The angle of the bend and its magnitude is determined by the character ofthe wire, enough bend being im arted to the rope to bend it beyond its elastic limit. The adjustment of the bushings 88 off center and out of alinement with the fixed uides 45 and 46 and the progressive rotar endin of the its elastic limit as it is drawn through t e treating unit puts a permanent set in each individual wire and each strand, leaving the strands and wire free from strains and stresses. The process puts the strands down to their proper seat on the core of the rope and gives a more perfect la to the Wires. The various advantages whic are set forth above are accomplished in a sim 1e and inexpensive manner, and wire rope made in the usual way is given the improved qualities with a very small outlay. While only two bending movements are imparted to the rope by the apparatus shown, it will be appreciated that the number may be increased, and the magnitude may be changed to suit the particular conditions met with.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for treating expansile wire rope to remove from the individual components of the rope their tendency to spread apart when the rope is severed, said apparatus comprising a series of fixed guides, guides movable in rotary paths between the fixed guides, and means for drawing the rope through said guides.

2. An apparatus for treating expansile said guides.

3. An apparatus for treating expansile wire rope to remove from the individual components of the rope their tendency to spread apart when the rope is severed, said apparatus comprising a series of alined fixed guides, guides located between such fixed guides and out of alinement therewith, means to move the second-named guides in rotary paths in opposite directions about the axis of the alined guides, and means to draw the rope through said guides.

4. An apparatus for treating expansile wire rope to remove from the individual components of the rope their tendency to spread apart when the rope is severed, said apparatus comprising a series of alined fixed guides, guides located between such fixed guides and out of alinement therewith, means to move the second-named guides in rotary paths about the axis of the alined guides, means to draw the rope through said guides, and means to adjust the relative positions of said movable guides.

5. An apparatus for treating expansile wire rope to remove from the individual components of the rope their tendency to spread apart when the rope is severed, said apparatus comprising a series of alined fixed guides, guides located between such fixed guides and out of alinement therewith, means to move the second-named guides in rotary paths in o posite directions about the axis of the aline guides, means to draw the rope through said guides, and means to adjust the relative positions of all said guides.

6. An apparatus for treating expansile wire rope to remove from the individual components of the rope their tendency to spread apart when the rope is severed, said apparatus comprising fixed guides s aced apart, a uide out of alinement wit the fixed gui es, and means to move the secondnamed guide in a rotary path about the axis of the fixed guides.

7. An apparatus for treating expansile wire rope to -remove from the individual components of the rope their tendency '-to spread apart when the rope is severed, said apparatus comprising fixed guides spaced apart, a guide out of alinement with the fixed guides, means to move the second-named uide in a rotary path about the axis of the xed guides, and means for drawing the rope through said guides.

8. n apparatus for treating expansile wire rope to remove from the individual components of the rope their tendency to spread apart when the rope is severed, said apparatus comprising fixed guides s aced apart, a guide out of alinement wit the fixed guides, means to move the second-named guide in a rotary path about the axis of the fixed guides, and means to adjust the spacing of the fixed guides and the radial dis placement of the second-named guide.

9. An apparatus for treating expansilewire rope to remove from the individual components of the rope their tendency to spread apart when the rope is severed, said apparatus comprising fixed guides s aced apart, a guide out of alinement wit the fixed guides, means to move the second-named guide in a rotary path about the axis of the xed guides, means to adjust the spacing of the fixed guides and the radial displacement of the second-named guide, and means for drawing the rope through said guide.

10. An apparatus for treating expansile wire rope to remove from the individual components of the rope their tendency to spread apart when the rope is severed, said apparatus comprising fixed spaced-apart guides, a disk between said guides, a guide on said disk and adjustable to points out of alinement with the first said guides, and means to rotate the disk.

11. An apparatus for treating expansile wire rope to remove from the individual components of the rope their tendency to spread apart when the rope is severed, said apparatus comprising a plurality of fixed spaced guides, disks between each pair of said fixed guides, guides on said disks, and means for rotating the disks in opposite directions, -e

12. An apparatus for treating expansile wire rope to remove from the individual components of the rope their tendency to spread apart when the rope is severed, said apparatus comprising a plurality of fixed spaced guides, disks between each pair of said fixed guides, guides on said disks located at diametrically opposite points, and means for rotating the disks in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

GORMAN C. BURD, 

